Wednesday, October 17, 2012

We'll call it the Candy Clock

Lincoln and Douglas got by without a moderator, but that was before the chess clock was invented;
A "chess clock" is actually two connected timepieces, constructed so that only one clock may run at a time. An analog clock has two large buttons on its upper surface; when one of these buttons is pressed, theother clock starts running. So, to begin a game of chess, the player of the Black pieces (right) presses his clock's button to start the White player's clock.
Each debater could be given 45 minutes of talk time, to be used at his or her discretion.  If someone interrupted  while his opponent was speaking, the speaker could hit the button and put the interrupter 'on the clock', so rudeness would not decrease a polite debater's time.

When a debater's time expired he would be required to leave the floor, and his opponent would continue to make his case until his time expired.

No more egotistical journalists injecting themselves into the proceedings.  The best ideas are usually the simplest.

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